Honda Adds 1,000 Jobs in Indiana, Doubles Civic Capacity

The 2006 Honda Civic, which was named 2006 North American Car of the Year, is displayed at a media preview of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan January 9, 2006. Honda Motor Corp. swept the top honors at the Detroit auto show on Sunday as its all-new Civic and first-ever pickup, the Ridgeline, were voted car and truck of the year by a panel of automotive writers. REUTERS/J.P. Moczulski (Reuters)

Honda (HMC) said it will add a second shift and about 1,000 jobs at its plant in southeastern Indiana by the end of this year in a move that will double the facility's workforce.

The second shift has been planned since the factory opened in 2008 but was put on hold amid the recession, according to the Associated Press, citing a plant spokeswoman.

The Japanese automaker currently makes about 100,000 cars a year at the Greensburg plant, which specializes in its popular Honda Civic sedan and the Honda Civic GX natural gas car. The additional staff will increase production to about 200,000 cars.

The announcement comes at a time when Honda continues to struggle amid low supplies since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan crippled supplier operations, forcing it to operate on reduced levels around the world.

While the automaker has predicted production volume at its North American assembly plants will return to normal in August, Honda warned the 2012 Civic will continue to operate at reduced levels until at least this fall.